Coffina, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and a former Associate Counsel to the President, will practice in both Philadelphia and Washington. He joins Drinker Biddle from Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhodes, LLP in Philadelphia.

“Over the years, we’ve been building a premier white collar practice. Scott is another significant addition. He brings experience in defending clients in high-stakes prosecutions and False Claims Act litigation, and in helping them respond to Congressional oversight investigations and similar governmental inquiries” said Alfred W. Putnam, Jr., Chairman of Drinker Biddle.

Coffina is highly regarded for his work in recent years, leading internal investigations and defending major pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers against allegations of improper marketing and False Claims Act violations. He developed substantial experience in Congressional oversight matters while serving as Associate Counsel to President George W. Bush. While in the White House, Coffina counseled White House staff on political, election law and ethics matters and served as a legal adviser on energy-related policy matters and veterans issues. Coffina served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania between 1997 and 2001.

Since 2006, Drinker Biddle has built its white collar practice around a number of veteran prosecutors. Last year, the firm welcomed Ron Sarachan, a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes section. Sarachan has joined a Drinker Biddle team managing one of the largest environmental cases in the country.

Other Drinker Biddle partners with similar prosecutorial and enforcement experience include Gregory P. Miller, Barry Gross and William McSwain in Philadelphia; Paul Nittoly in Florham Park, N.J.; Vincent E. Gentile in Princeton, N.J.; Gordon B. Nash, Jr., in Chicago; and Jesse A. Witten and Charles S. Leeper in Washington, D.C. Leeper successfully defended a firm client earlier this yearin the so-called “Africa Sting” case, the largest single Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigation and prosecution in U.S. Department of Justice history.

“A number of our lawyers have known and worked with Scott throughout his career, and we’ve always been impressed by his skills,” said Wilson Brown, chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group. “With Scott, we are adding depth in two locations at once. We are thrilled to welcome him to the firm.”

“I’m excited to begin working with my new colleagues as we continue to build one of the top white collar practices in the country,” Coffina said. “There’s a great deal of momentum here and much to be proud of.”

Coffina earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.

Drinker Biddle’s White Collar Criminal Defense & Corporate Investigations Team has a track record of favorably resolving government investigations and enforcement actions. In many instances, clients of the firm are never charged with a criminal or regulatory violation, and the existence of an inquiry never becomes public. The firm does, however, have the talent and depth necessary to handle all stages of the investigative and judicial process, including trial and appeal. Lawyers in the practice also design and implement corporate compliance programs, and evaluate and improve existing compliance programs.